Lauren Branning

[walsh2509]

The US some place , go there for a couple of months and come back at least 2/3 years older

[.:SpIcYsPy:.]

Does anyone still reallyyyyy dislike the new Lauren Branning?

[StarsOfCCTV]

I think she's a good actress, but I never saw what was wrong with the old Lauren Branning..

[Katy]

same, i think shes a good actress but shes not like Lauren at all! I see her and have to questio who she is!

[tammyy2j]

Does anyone still reallyyyyy dislike the new Lauren Branning?

I do she is terrible

[CrazyLea]

Agreed with Kasple and Katy.
I don't like how they have changed Lauren's character completely!!

[Perdita]

EastEnders teen Lauren Branning discovers one of the best-kept secrets in Albert Square next week as she realises that Stacey Slater was Archie Mitchell's killer. The drama kicks off after Lauren accuses her dad Max of being the murderer, prompting him to protest his innocence and insist that he is merely protecting the real culprit. Later, a remark from Stacey helps Lauren to put the pieces of the puzzle together and she finally comes to the correct conclusion - if neither Bradley or Max killed Archie, it must have been Stacey… Jacqueline Jossa, who took over the role of Lauren in the summer, recently chatted to DS about the upcoming plot twist.

Lauren seems to be the only person on the Square who's talking about Bradley at the moment - why has she been thinking about him so much?
"I think that after Bradley's death, Lauren didn't really speak about Bradley for a long time - no-one has really spoken about him. But I think that now Billie has died, it's reminded her of other things - Bradley died and now another family member has gone, so it's brought it all back."

As Ronnie's wedding approaches, we see Lauren become quite paranoid about Max's angry side - why is that?
"I think Lauren has seen Max's temper a lot of times in the past - he's punched Peter and now he's threatened Jay. At the same time, she's thinking about Archie's murder and realising that if Bradley didn't do it, it must have been someone else. As far as she knows, her dad is the only person who knows that Bradley didn't do it, so she's trying to put this puzzle together and it's all adding up to Max being the killer, because everything he does seems to lead to a lot of aggression."

Eventually, we see Lauren packing her bags and accusing Max of killing Archie - what brings her to that point?
"I don't think Lauren is accusing her dad of killing Archie. Well, she is, but she's doing it to see what his reaction will be. Obviously she doesn't know for sure and she's still trying to piece things together in her head. Also, Lauren is a teenager and she's quite rude and aggressive anyway - like her dad! I think Lauren decides that she just doesn't want to be in the same house as Max anymore, because if he can do what he does to other people, then he can do it to his daughter as well. We've seen him cheating with his own son's wife, so Lauren thinks he could hurt her too."

How does Lauren figure out that Stacey is the killer?
"Lauren is speaking to Stacey in the toilets in the Queen Vic, and at first she's just accusing Stacey of still trying it on with Max - basically calling her a bit of a slapper! Then Stacey slips up and doesn't really think about what she's saying - she tells Lauren that Max has promised to always look out for her. Then Lauren's brain starts ticking again and it all just fits into place!"

There aren't many characters on the Square who know the truth about Stacey and Archie, so were you excited when you heard that Lauren would find out?
"Yeah, definitely! I had a meeting about it, but before I read the scripts, I didn't actually know how involved I would be. Then I read the scripts and I was like, 'Wow!' It was unbelievable."

Billie's death storyline was another big storyline that you've been involved in - what was that like to film?
"The Billie storyline was the first thing that I did - on my first day, because we worked backwards and it was really confusing! (Laughs) On my first two days, we did the whole Billie thing and it was really good. I was excited to work with Lindsey Coulson so soon! It was very emotional as well. The whole thing was really deep."

The scene where Lauren laughed after hearing about Billie's death certainly got EastEnders fans talking - what was your interpretation of that?
"At first I was surprised and I was thinking, 'Laughing at someone's death?!' But then I did realise that it does sometimes happen and everyone reacts differently to hearing news like that. It can be a natural reaction and it can be uncontrollable. Some people laugh, some people cry and some people do neither!"

You've been with EastEnders for a few months now - are you enjoying it?
"I'm loving it! I don't care that I'm waking up at 5.30 in the morning! (Laughs) I just love it. It's amazing to work with the people who I'm working with. I'm so lucky to be part of the Branning family - they're such a good family!"

What can we expect Lauren to do now that she knows the truth about Stacey? Should Stacey be worried?
"Lauren now feels very capable because she knows the truth. She now has the power to get Stacey gone…"

More from 'Enders star Jacqueline Jossa

I recently chatted to EastEnders newcomer Jacqueline Jossa to hear about the surprise twist ahead for her character Lauren Branning, who is about to discover Stacey Slater's darkest secret.

Lauren figuring out that Stacey killed Archie should definitely make her one to watch in the coming weeks, but whether she will prove to be the Walford favourite's worst nightmare remains to be seen.

Click here if you haven't yet read our main chat with Jacqueline. Alternatively, read on for some bonus bits from the interview...

What's it like working with Jake Wood, who plays Max?
"He's brilliant - he was one of the first people I met so he took me round the Square and we really got on well. All we do is laugh on set and we have a great relationship. He's great to work with and I pick up a lot from him!"

Is there anyone else who you particularly enjoy working with?
"I love working with Lorna, who plays Abi, because we just really get along and it's quite strange how much we have in common! I also love working with Shona McGarty, Ricky Norwood and Bunmi Mojekwu. I love working with everyone really! Also, Lacey Turner was amazing to work with on this storyline, and Jo Joyner is fantastic."

We've seen the tough side of Lauren quite often so far - would you like us to see her softer side in the future?
"Yes, and you definitely do see that softer side of Lauren soon! But acting tough is just a front for Lauren anyway - she's not horrible 24/7 and it's just something that she hides behind."

Finally, Lauren was dumped by her boyfriend recently - is there anyone on the Square who you'd like to see her get together with?
"I think Lauren and Fatboy would work quite well, because Fatboy is just hilarious and Lauren is quite dry. That would be quite strange because you just wouldn't imagine it! Or maybe even her and Darren, because you just wouldn't expect Lauren and Darren Miller to be together. And Lauren would love it but hate it at the same time!"

Are you looking forward to Lauren's new storyline? Let me know your thoughts using the usual form below!

[alan45]

Are you looking forward to Lauren's new storyline? Let me know your thoughts using the usual form below!

What form?????

[alan45]

EastEnders star Jake Wood has teased that Max Branning needs to be "wary" of what his daughter Lauren is capable of.

Viewers will see Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) learn that Stacey (Lacey Turner) murdered Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) next week.

Speaking to Soaplife, Wood revealed that Max thinks he can keep Lauren quiet.

"He's worried but thinks he can pull it back," he said. "He begs Lauren to keep quiet and she says she's going to drop it. But then he lies instead of telling her he's going to the clinic with Stacey and it sets her off again. She thinks Max and Stacey are 'involved'."

As Lauren continues to cause problems, Max tells Stacey that she should keep her distance from the family for a while, leaving the new mum heartbroken.

Wood explained: "He says it because Lauren's listening, but Stacey doesn't realise. She gets really upset and goes missing. Max is desperate to tell her he didn't mean it. He tries to get in touch with her but he can't. The problem is Lauren tells him if he has any contact with Stacey, she'll disown him."

[CrazyLea]

Are you looking forward to Lauren's new storyline? Let me know your thoughts using the usual form below!

What form?????

That made me chuckle!